Bottoms Up
Things are looking up at Pastiche Bistro & Wine Bar. Owner/chef Mike Engel has used whatever spare time he has (hah) to create the second-floor shop Pastiche Wines, which is set to open Monday, Dec. 12 at 11 a.m. sharp. (Yes, it is located upstairs from Pastiche Bistro; accessible from both an outside entrance and from inside the restaurant.) Engel will feature, as least in the beginning, a “modest” selection of wines of varying prices. His focus will be wines seldom found in other shops. Accessories and glassware will also be stocked. Another way Engel plans to distinguish Pastiche Wines is with a “restaurant-quality” level of service. Expected hours: Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (3001 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.)
Ode to “Ugly”
Come on, pull that nasty holiday sweater out of the bottom of your dresser drawer. Kitsch is king in some holiday circles. You might even win something. Stubby’s Pub and Grub (2060 N. Humboldt Blvd.) will reward those who don their homeliest holiday sweaters at the Ugly Sweater Party on Friday, Dec. 16. And what enticements: Get your photo taken with Santa, listen to DJ Fred X, get a free O’so beer with the donation of a nonperishable food item. (O’so Brewing Company is based in Plover, Wis.) And (AND!) if you are wearing what is deemed the Ugliest Sweater, you will win a quarter-barrel party. Ugly festivities get underway at 9 p.m. On the same evening, there’s also a four-course New Holland Beer Dinner. I don’t have the menu, but each course will be paired with a beer from this Holland, Mich. brewery. The cost is $50 per person. Bonus for diners wearing ugly sweaters: You’ll get a free pint of beer before the dinner. For reservations, call 414-763-8623.
Full Bowls
Last week, Sugarmaple hosted a cool fund-raising event that used soup in a powerful, socially conscious way. A handful of locals brought in their pots of hearty homemade soup. There was no admission charge for the event. But in return for a bowl of warm goodness, folks were encouraged to leave a donation for a local organization that helps people in need (in this case, the Bay View Community Center). What’s not to like, right? This night of soup supping was inspired by the successful Soup & Bread series in Chicago and the Soup & Bread Cookbook that came out of that. The beauty of this soup movement is that it has inspired other people to organize their own events. Such as… Soup & Bread: FoodFightMKE, Dec. 15 at Riverwest Public House (815 E. Locust St.). A range of local people and businesses – from chef Dan Van Rite of Hinterland to Riverwest Co-op and Alterra Coffee – will donate soup and/or bread. You just need to show up and, if you like, offer up some cash to the Hunger Task Force. So what is FoodFightMKE? The brainchild of some resourceful area college students who’ve banded together to help fight hunger in Milwaukee. Date: Dec. 15, 6-8:30 p.m.
Crowning the Cookie
Are you a cookie person? I’m a cookie person. Is there a holiday cookie recipe that you guard with your life… but that you’d be willing to share for a prize? Marcus Restaurants wants that recipe for Milwaukee’s Favorite Cookie Contest. All you need to do is submit the recipe here. The intrepid Marcus baking experts will determine the winner – whose prize is a one-night stay (plus dinner for two) at the Pfister, Hilton or Intercontinental Milwaukee hotel. Your deadline is Sunday, Dec. 18. The champ will travel further than the Marcus kitchens: Marcus will donate 500 cookies, made from the winning recipe, to Milwaukee’s Hope House, an emergency and transitional living facility. And the cookie will be a featured menu item in January at Mason Street Grill, Kil@wat and Milwaukee ChopHouse.
Look for Dish on Dining on Tuesdays and Thursdays!
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If you spot a restaurant opening or closing, post it on the comments section of my column, or e-mail me directly: ann.christenson@milwaukeemagazine.com
